With a third lockdown underway and not much uni work to do, I figured it was time for me to use my rest day to do something more productive that Netflix binging. I entered 2021 with a sense of optimism, hoping that this year would be somewhat more ordinary than the last and that I might finally be able to put my training gains to the test in competition. Less than a month into the year and the future still seems very uncertain, so to try and preserve my optimism I thought I’d reflect on the progress I am currently making on my competition style bouldering, in particular my dynamic movement and coordination, both of which are undoubtedly my greatest weaknesses. In September 2020, after months of climbing outside and training in and out of lockdowns, I finally had the opportunity to practice world cup style moves at the newly established, dedicated training space for GB athletes at Unit E in the Climbing Works, Sheffield. During my 2019 boulder season, I came to the terms with the...
After months spent training at home I finally had the opportunity to travel this summer! As someone who is very used to living out of a suitcase going between comps, the prospect of spending summer at home did not fill me with joy, so when some mates asked if I wanted to join them on a climbing and scuba diving trip to Croatia, I didn’t hesitate to book my ticket. Paklenica may not be as well known as some other European sport climbing destinations, but it certainly has a lot to offer. I have always focused primarily on indoor climbing, following a busy training schedule which over the years has given me little time to get outdoors. However, with the competition season as good as cancelled this year, I’ve spent lockdown transferring my skills to rock. Before going to Paklenica, all my trips have been performance focussed-not what you’d exactly call a ‘holiday’, but rather an opportunity to show how my training had paid off. For this trip I decided to adopt the mindset of wanting to c...